MLB News

Flowers exchanges bats with fan

By
Scott MerkinMLB.com

CHICAGO -- In the second inning of Monday's 6-2 victory over the Indians, Tyler Flowers inadvertently brought fame to Eileen Depesa.

Depesa was sitting behind the White Sox dugout when Flowers swung and missed at a Josh Tomlin pitch and lost his grip on the bat. The projectile was snagged by Depesa on a bounce off the dugout, with her one-handed catch preventing it from hitting a baby seated behind her.

CHICAGO -- In the second inning of Monday's 6-2 victory over the Indians, Tyler Flowers inadvertently brought fame to Eileen Depesa.

Depesa was sitting behind the White Sox dugout when Flowers swung and missed at a Josh Tomlin pitch and lost his grip on the bat. The projectile was snagged by Depesa on a bounce off the dugout, with her one-handed catch preventing it from hitting a baby seated behind her.

Flowers had that bat retrieved and gave Depesa an autographed bat in return.

"That one in particular, I switched to a new model recently and I don't have a surplus of them," Flowers said. "I'm trying to keep as many as I can."

Although he heard news of the catch, Flowers never saw it. He seems to have a propensity for the accidental bat toss, but has an idea when they are coming.

"It typically coincides with a warm humid day," Flowers said. "Usually, it's the second or third at-bat for me, your gloves get a little moist, you are sweating a fair bit.

"On top of that, the pine tar becomes more slimy as opposed to sticky. I had a feeling when I was on deck [Monday]. I was starting to go get another pair of gloves and possibly a different bat. And then [Alejandro] De Aza finished his at-bat. I had to go up there."